Frequently asked questions

You are unable to claim the same direct damage expenses via both the Grant and Loan Schemes. However, if the total of your recovery expenditure has exceeded the amount of assistance available via these Schemes, then you can seek loan assistance for the expenses that were not covered by the schemes.

You may use government loan assistance towards your co-contribution to help to fund project activities, for instance, a Sustainability Loan from QRIDA.

However, funding from another government grant program is unable to be used as a co-contribution to fund project activities under the scheme.

No. Contract work can only be considered as an eligible claim when the repairs cannot be undertaken utilising your own equipment. You may however claim for additional labour or fuel, oil and other costs incurred in the use of this equipment. Refer to the Fuel Calculator section of the application form.

Yes. Producers can engage the independent consultant at their own cost to assist in implementing options provided in the report. Where further engagement is sought it will be the sole responsibility of the individual and independent consultant.

No. While you can choose to have the equipment installed as you see fit for particular units, you will only be able to claim a rebate for the installation costs if professionally installed. 

In-kind contributions may be offered in addition to the 50 per cent cash contribution to the project. 

No. 

Additional repayments or the full repayment of your COVID loan can occur at any time, without any additional charges. Simply download and complete the loan payout form and a member of the QRIDA team will be in touch with you to discuss your options.

Yes, up to a maximum of $220 for installation costs but conditions apply. 

Yes. The advice you receive must come from at least one approved adviser listed on QRIDA’s website. Applicants seeking advice from multiple approved advisers should submit only one application with all quotes. 

Yes, you can refinance your COVID loan to another lender. Please download and complete the loan payout form and a member of our team will be in touch with you to discuss.

Yes, you are entitled to a decision review. See reviewing a decision for more information. 

No. Grant funds must be paid into a bank account in the same name as your application or trading entity. For example, if your enterprise operates as a partnership, grant funds can only be paid into your partnership account. 

Yes, as long as you can demonstrate that you as tenant (lessee) are primarily responsible for the cost of the eligible clean-up and repairs.

A lease is a legal contract that defines in broad terms the responsibilities for landlord (lessor) and tenant (lessee) in relation to repairs and maintenance. Often such leases are supplemented with other documents outlining insurances, improvements and operational matters.

QRIDA also recognise that the lessor and lessee may from time to time agree to reassign responsibility for activities within the context of their lease arrangement if both parties concur.

An applicant is required to provide a copy of their lease and any other documents to QRIDA to demonstrate that they are primarily responsible for the eligible costs being claimed.

QRIDA may also accept a co-signed statutory declaration if this assists the applicant in demonstrating they are responsible for costs being claimed or they are unable to immediately resume farming activities without meeting the cost of reinstatement of the damaged property themselves.

Such a co-signed statutory declaration for an applicant who is the lessee (tenant) should clearly state:

1. That the lessor will not be meeting the costs of reinstatement of the damaged property for which the lessee (applicant) has made the grant application
2. That the applicant (lessee) cannot immediately resume business activities without meeting the cost of reinstatement of the damaged property themselves
3. The nature and extent of damage impacting on the immediate resumption of business activities
4. Details of the reinstatement costs being claimed by the applicant which differ from the existing lease contract or other documents outlining the liabilities/responsibilities of each party and which have been agreed between the parties
5. That these same costs are not covered by insurance or other government assistance.

Please note the statutory declaration does not guarantee approval of the application, but simply provides QRIDA with information clarifying liabilities and responsibilities in respect to a leased property, specifically relating to damage and costs, in order to undertake an assessment of a grant application.

Yes, applications can be made on this basis and are in fact preferred in the competitive assessment process. 

Yes, an application for assistance under the scheme can be made jointly by two or more applicants. In these cases only one applicant needs to demonstrate the ability to provide the 50 per cent cash contribution and have adequate experience and/or qualifications to give the applicant a reasonable prospect of success in carrying out the activity. All Applicants must meet the other eligibility criteria.

You may submit more than one application for different projects, or in future rounds of funding.  However, you may not receive more than one Rural Economic Development Grant for a substantially similar project activity.

No. To be eligible for assistance, all wheelchair-accessibility devices must be purchased new. Any reused equipment will not be eligible.

Yes, the cashflow budget template provided by QRIDA is not mandatory. If you have your own cashflow budget template then you are able to provide this to QRIDA as part of your loan application. However, please note that an itemised monthly cashflow is required for all applications, preferably in a financial year (July to June) format.

Normal staffing costs are ineligible unless they can demonstrate additional costs are incurred for clean-up and reinstatement purposes.

• Permanent employees (including permanent full-time and permanent part-time) – only the costs of additional hours worked (e.g. overtime or extra hours / days) to assist with the clean-up and reinstatement of the enterprise
• Contractors, casuals or temporary staff - who are engaged specifically for clean-up and reinstatement of the enterprise. If contractors, casuals or temporary staff are already employed, however, the day to day labour requirement which they were originally contracted to do has decreased or ceased altogether due to the eligible disaster, and they are assisting with clean up, these costs for clean-up and reinstatement purposes only may be eligible.

Evidence required could include payroll summary verifying staff and wage costs incurred for clean-up and reinstatement purposes only and signed by the applicant.

Yes. The assistance is available for the purchase, hire or lease costs for equipment essential to undertake clean-up activities. Generally, purchase costs should not exceed hire or lease costs. 

Yes. Grant funds may be used to pay for agistment costs (including costs associated with having livestock on stock routes) in order to maintain existing or replacement stock in circumstances where:

• fencing or other on-farm infrastructure is still to be repaired, or
• pasture on your property has been damaged and requires renovation or simply time to regenerate.

Note: Should agistment form part of your regular operations then these normal operating costs are not able to be claimed under the grant.

Detailed information on how QRIDA will calculate rebate amounts is included in supplementary Information about the Horticulture Irrigation Rebate Pricing Scheme.

No. The program has been structured and criteria has been established to assess the skills, qualification and experience of individuals to give advice and confirm them as approved advisors, not a company or organisation.